“What is so difficult in eCommerce catalog management? Isn’t it just adding products to the categories on the online store? Why should I spend on experts in eCommerce catalog management, when I can do it myself?”

This is a common query we get when we interact with owners of online retail stores. For the cost-conscious retailer, saving every dollar is crucial. Hence it is natural that such query may come to your mind.

However, the truth is that it is actually quite difficult for retailers to carry out this task over a long term. The sheer time-intensive nature of the work needs a dedicated expert to get the work done efficiently and with accuracy.

Why eCommerce product data management is crucial?

The highly transparent world of internet combined with the high benchmarks set by sites like Amazon, means that there is always a comparison of product information on your site with the best eCommerce sites.

If shoppers see very less information, irrelevant information, or incorrect information, the overall impact on user experience will be negative. You not only lose customers, but also the chance to build a great set of loyal audience for your online store.

Hence it makes total sense to spend time and efforts on meaningful and informative product and catalog data that is accurate and relevant too.

What are the common challenges in eCommerce product catalog management?

Here are some common challenges faced product catalog management and how experts can solve these

1 – Are all products regularly updated?

Any eCommerce site will have thousands of products listed. Plus, there will be almost daily updates happening to some products in terms of prices, availability, or new stock. How would you be able to run the business if your time is spent on keeping the store data streamlined?

This is where catalog management experts come in handy. They have a team that takes in supplier data and then adds, edits, and modifies the detail to keep the stock fresh and up-to-date.

2 – How to improve customer experience?

30% of US shoppers would be comfortablemaking a first-time purchase from an eCommerce site if the site offers detailed product information. This statistic obviously means that catalog data information is directly related to a boost in customer experience.

3 – Are all product pages optimized?

It is important to optimize the page with right keywords. Hence, if someone types for instance ‘Nike Air Presto Running Shoes White’ on search engines, the results should list your site to the appropriate page with the correct product.

Doing keyword research and weaving the right phrases without stuffing the same is a crucial challenge that retailers have to counter. An eCommerce catalog data management expert can carry out this task to bring better results from organic searches made by your target customers.

4 – Are multiple marketplaces managed well?

Imagine if your site has a presence on multiple platforms like Amazon, eBay, and Sears. If someone orders the ‘Nike Air Presto Running Shoes White’ from Sears, does this order impact the stocks on Amazon and eBay? If not, then you might facea serious stock-keeping challenge.

5 – How can I smartly deal with supplier data?

Suppliers work far down inthe entire eCommerce supply chain. They can afford to not standardize their information. But if your site is facing the customer, can you afford the same lax attitude. The answer is no.

Different suppliers will provide different listings with same information mentioned in different formats. For example, a t-shirt color would be mentioned as ‘GRN’ in one supplier file, while another will have it listed as ‘GN’. An expert eCommerce catalog datamanagement agency can quickly make all similar data consistent and clean up the data. This issue normally takes a few days to accomplish. You cannot afford to keep this task in-house and get time to run other areas of business too. Hence a 3rd party expert will come in handy.

6 – How can I expand the catalog with new products?

We have seen that supplier data and product information for a catalog needs to be kept clean, validated, and fresh every time. However, when you look at catalog expansion, the complexity gets compounded exponentially. You might get newer lists from new suppliers and a lot of product information to be optimized.

A good eCommerce catalog management expert can help you with issues like mis-spelling, outdated information, or missing information. They will have the tools and resources to get the job done right and in swift time. With the bulk data upload and mass update service expertise, these agencies can be a powerful weapon in your product data management arsenal.

To conclude

These were some of the eCommerce catalog management challenges that evidently consume a lot of time in getting it right consistently. This is why delegating this work to experienced professionals in eCommerce would be a smart business move. You not only get to maintain the site in top shape but also get time to scale your business up.

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